DIRECTIONS
Which way are you going
TEXT: Psalm 37:23
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.
The Lord Himself delights in his ways
So who is this good man in whom the Lord delights
The person in whom God delights is one who follows God, trusts him, and tries to do his will. God watches over and makes firm every step that person takes. If you would like to have God direct your way, then seek his advice before you step out.
Ask yourself the question is this the way the Lord would have me go.
ILLUSTRATION
A man called his neighbour to help him move a couch that had become stuck in the doorway. They pushed and pulled until they were exhausted, but the couch wouldn’t budge. "Forget it," the man finally said. "We’ll never get this in."
The neighbour looked at him quizzically and said, "In?"
1. THE STEPS OF A GOOD MAN
Are your steps ordered by the Lord or are you going in your own preconceived direction?
Mark 10:18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
To be a good man we must become a God man, Jesus was wanting this rich young man to acknowledge Him as the Messiah. God in the flesh.
To be a good man we must acknowledge Him in all we do, putting Him first in all that we do.
If we place other things before God and our eyes are not firmly planted on Him, then we will wind up doing our own thing.
The worst part is that we will think that it is right. Look at Israel for example!
Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
During the time of the judges, the people of Israel experienced trouble because everyone became his own authority and acted on his own opinions of right and wrong. This produced horrendous results.
Our world is similar. Individuals, groups, and societies have made themselves the final authorities without reference to God. When people selfishly satisfy their personal desires at all costs, everyone pays the price.
As a result, justice is soon replaced by revenge and chaos.
Ignoring God’s direction leads to confusion and destruction.
LOOK AT WHAT IS GOING ON IN SO MAY PARTS OF THE WORLD TODAY, THE MIDDLE EAST, AFGHANISTAN, .
Anyone or any country who has not submitted to God will end up doing whatever seems right at the time. This tendency is present in all of us. To know what is really right and to have the strength to do it, we need to draw closer to God and his Word.
THE STEPS OF A GOOD MAN ARE ORDERED BY THE LORD
Look what happens to the wicked
Psalm 37:21 The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
They avoid their responsibilities
But look at their end
Psalm 37:20 But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendour of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.
THE STEPS OF A GOOD MAN ARE ORDERED BY THE LORD
Are your steps those of a good man?
ILLUSTRATION
Hugh Latimer (C. 1485-1555)
We must first be made good before we can do good; we must first be made just, before our works can please God. When we are justified by faith in Christ, then come good works.
Which brings me to my next point "The steps of a good man are:-
2. ORDERED BY THE LORD
What does it mean to be ordered by the Lord
Does that mean that we must become like robots
BY NO MEANS
Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
If your heart is right before God and God’s Word is in your heart then the Lord will direct your steps.
The following passage may seem to be a contradiction
Proverbs 20:24 A man’s steps are of the LORD; How then can a man understand his own way?
We are often confused by the events around us. Many things we will never understand; others will fall into place in years to come as we look back and see how God was working. This proverb counsels us not to worry if we don’t understand everything as it happens. Instead, we should trust that God knows what he’s doing, even if his timing or design is not clear to us.
Many times we become confused by being like the Israelites, doing what seems right in our own eyes.
Ask the question am I doing this for myself or am I listening to God and His Word and seeking His direction for my life?
"THE STEPS OF A GOOD MAN ARE ORDERED BY THE LORD"
Psalm 119:133 Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
Our focus must always be on the Lord not on the circumstances
To have our steps ordered by the Lord we must first seek Him in all that we do
get His Word firmly planted in or hearts
When we are young we can look at things different to the way we look at them when we are older.
The things we do in life can make a big difference to our future
Eccles. 11:9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment.
We often hear people say, "It doesn’t matter." But many of your choices will be irreversible--they will stay with you for a lifetime. What you do when you’re young ’does’ matter. Enjoy life now, but don’t do anything physically, morally, or spiritually that will prevent you from enjoying life when you are old.
We must develop a Kingdom mentality
Are we building God’s Kingdom or our own?
God’s word says
Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits.
"All a man’s ways seem innocent to him." the NIV says.
People can rationalise anything if they have no standards for judging right and wrong. We can always prove that we are right. Before putting any plan into action, ask yourself these three questions:
(1) Is this plan in harmony with God’s truth (HIS WORD THE BIBLE)?
(2) Will it work under real-life conditions?
(3) Is my attitude pleasing to God?
Are we seeking to establish our own Kingdom or do we want to establish God’s Kingdom.
The Bible say if we get it right then all good things will become ours.
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
WHOSE KINGDOM ARE WE TO SEEK?
God’s kingdom
Not my kingdom
Not the world’s kingdom
But God’s kingdom
Not only His kingdom but his righteousness
That’s how our steps are ordered by the Lord.
Seeking His kingdom, His righteousness.
ILLUSTRATION
One day a little girl, dressed in white, carrying a bunch of flowers, passed a small boy who was playing in a dusty street. The boy threw a handful of dirt at the girl.
It struck the edge of her dress and fell on her shoes. She stood still. Her face flushed as though she would cry, but instead she smiled and threw a flower at the boy who waited to see what she would do. He was surprised and ashamed because in return for dirt he had received a flower. Man is a rebel against God, but all that he has ever received from God was the gift of the Lord Jesus ’Christ.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; [6] In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
When we seek His kingdom and His righteousness through what Jesus has done for us on the cross God directs our path that brings me to my third and final point
3. HE DELIGHTS IN HIS WAYS
Isn’t that an awesome thing?
The Lord God almighty, maker of heaven and earth delighting in our ways!
In this life we can get so caught up in the things of the world if only we could catch a glimpse of what God thinks about us and what He wants to do for us!
As the next verse in our Psalm implies God is always there for us.
Psalm 37:24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.
The Christian life is not always easy and there are times when we fall but just as a parent is there to catch their child when they take their fist steps, or ride a bike for the first time, God’s promise is that He will pick us up with His hand.
What a blessing for us to have God delight in us, to have Him pick us up when we fall and make a mistake.
How sad for those who chose not to know Him, when they fall no one picks them up they are doomed for destruction. Yes they may seem to flourish for a season but their end is not to be envied
Psalm 37:34-36 Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. [35] I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. [36] Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.
Verse 38 says But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
David tells us in this Psalm about God’s goodness and blessing towards those who have been made righteous in the Lord.
Psalm 37:25-26 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. [26] He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed.
God Himself delights in us he wants us to have abundance in all things so that we can be a blessing to others.
If we are to establish God’s Kingdom here on earth then we not only need Spiritual blessing we need financial blessing as well to do that.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
It is God’s delight to prosper us, to give us hope and a future.
We’re all encouraged by a leader who stirs us to move ahead, someone who believes we can do the task he has given and who will be with us all the way. God is that kind of leader. He knows the future, and his plans for us are good and full of hope. As long as God, who knows the future, provides our agenda and goes with us as we fulfil his mission, we can have boundless hope. This does not mean that we will be spared pain, suffering, or hardship, but that God will see us through to a glorious conclusion.
Psalm 37:37-39 Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. [38] But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off. [39] But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble.
Look here in verse 37, our future is peace, because God has provided our Salvation verse 39, He is our strength in times of trouble.
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.
IN CONCLUSION
Are you heading in the right direction are your steps ordered by the LORD?
Is He delighting in your ways
We should never envy evil people, even though some may be extremely popular or excessively rich. No matter how much they have, it will fade and vanish like grass that withers and dies. Those who follow God live differently from the wicked and, in the end, will have far greater treasures in heaven. What the unbeliever gets may last a lifetime, if he is lucky. What you get from following God lasts forever.
Psalm 37:1-6 A Psalm of David.
Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. [2] For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. [3] Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. [4] Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. [5] Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. [6] He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
David calls us to take delight in the Lord and to commit everything we have and do to Him. But how do we do this?
To ’delight’ in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in his or her presence. This happens only when we know that person well. Thus, to delight in the Lord, we must know Him better.
Knowledge of God’s great love for us will indeed give us delight.
To ’commit’ ourselves to the Lord means entrusting everything--our lives, families, jobs, possessions--to his control and guidance. To commit ourselves to the Lord means to trust in Him, believing that He can care for us better than we can ourselves.
Always remember
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.
God loves you and He delights in you.
IN CLOSING I JUST WANT TO READ FROM 2 Thes. 3:5
Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
